How a staycation could be good for your mental health

People often think in terms of “getting away.” They believe that getting out of the city, state, country they live in is the only way they can get clarity in their lives.

However, sometimes, the path to enlightenment begins at home. As wonderful and rewarding as travel can be, sometimes planning a trip can just add stress to whatever you’re already grappling with. Booking flights, taking time off work, making sure you have the money – it can definitely add up.

So the next time you need a break from reality, request that time off from work and then stay put. Buy some comfort foods, some candles, incense, whatever you need to relax. Really put some thought into how you want to spend a few days that are purely your own. Whether that’s watching movies, reading novels in your Chanel glasses, meditating or doing yoga, it’s all up to you. The important thing is that you allow yourself to completely indulge yourself and make no commitments aside from honoring your own desires.

This is also an excellent opportunity to redefine your home as a sanctuary, a getaway all the time. Take stock of your space and consider how it makes you feel. Is it too cluttered, dirty, disorganized? Too sterile, a little too neat and tidy? Is there a space where you can just be yourself? Be comfortable, think and reflect? You may not realize it in the day-to-day but having a home that is conducive to mental health and reflection is essential for your overall well-being.

That’s why going away to take some time for yourself is not a permanent solution. It’s easy to go away and deal with your problems, but maintaining that feeling of clarity and positivity is difficult to maintain once you return home. Unless you have an established routine and have already built into your day time to meditate and truly relax and be in touch with yourself, you’re likely to fall right back into the patterns that brought you there in the first place.

“How I Met Your Mother Fans” will likely recall Robin’s trip to Argentina. She came back all zenned-out and relaxed, only to return to her former slightly neurotic ways soon after returning to New York.

So before you plan that physical journey to enlightenment, make sure you – and your lifestyle, and your home – are ready for it. During your staycation, think about what would make your home environment more comfortable and inviting for you. Work can be stressful and home should be sanctuary. The more constant stress there is in your life, the more unhealthy the situation is. There must be at least some place and some time in the day when you get a reprieve from that.

Additionally, you must build into your day not only time for yourself, but also ways through which you can relieve stress as it builds up. Even if you repress your feelings in a stressful situation, which is not advised, they will come out in one way or another. This may be in one major outburst or in a stream of lashing out, feeling irritated and exhausted or a general feeling of unpleasantness.

Some stressful situations cannot be avoided but those that can should be addressed. It takes some growing pains to adjust to a new schedule and way of life, which is why giving yourself a few days off to take stock of things is so valuable.